When is ice safe to walk on

You can also measure the thickness of the ice yourself. But it should be done very carefully and only near the shore. Ice thickness has specific values for certain types of activity on the ice. If you know the thickness, you can go out on the ice. Or not. Of course, you can also travel on thicker ice.

It could be 20 inches or 50 centimeters thick supports 25 tons , 30 inches or 76 centimeters 70 tons , and 36 inches or 91 centimeters tons. Generally, this ice is found on bodies of water in the northern territories beyond the Arctic Circle. Ice is rarely thicker than this in more southerly latitudes. In contrast, you can't go out on ice less than 4 inches thick, let alone drive a vehicle on it, because it's not safe. In addition to air temperature, ice thickness is affected by many different factors: water depth, the size of the waterbody and fluctuations in water levels, currents and moving water, chemicals like salt, logs, rocks, and docks absorbing heat from the sun and melting the surroundings, and others.

The ice thickness is also affected by the quality of the ice yes, it varies , it should be mentioned separately. The quality of the ice can be determined by its color. And this may be the most simple way to know the ice thickness safely from the shore, without getting out special tools, which you probably don't have. As a general rule: ice that is neither new nor clear is half as thick as clear ice that is, it must be twice as thick to be able to go out on it.

Weather conditions are also everywhere and always different. Even if the temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius for a few days, it is freezing outside and ice has been forming on lakes and rivers for a long time, always check the situation before you go out on the ice. In addition — and this is also very important — the thickness of ice is not the same everywhere throughout the body of water.

Some parts of, let's say a lake, may have thick ice, while others do not. Usually, the ice is less thick closer to the shore. The most important: if you have any doubts about the ice thickness, don't go to the ice. There is a whole Snow Weather Profile in Windy.

In addition you can get other useful weather parameters in 10 other weather profiles — for example, Feels Like Temperature in Lite profile. The river itself is shallow, especially in winter maybe 20' at the deepest, more like 8' at the shallowest , and there are places where you can see that the ice is at least a foot thick.

All the same, I nearly have a heart attack every time I walk over a spot and it starts making those cracking sounds. Reassure me?? Ice cracks when it expands or when it contracts. As long as the ice your on is thick enough near shore, you should be fine. But follow your instincts! Nothing is worth falling through the ice.

I plan on ice skating on a derby lake, lake Cornelia in Iowa, this winter. I'm worried about ice thickness. Hi, Beltran: The best thing to do would be to chip away or drill a test hole in a shallow place near the shore, bearing in mind that ice can still be thinner farther out, where there might be springs, currents, or pressure cracks.

Have fun and thanks for asking! And be safe out there! My concern this year is that we have not had enough cold weather for the ice to freeze good ice to host this derby. Can you please give me some insight into how thick the ice should be for people to be in attendance with over holes pre drilled.

Thank you for your input. Once out of the water, seek shelter immediately. In acute hypothermia, the trunk area of the body is warmed first and the limbs last. In no case should anyone be given alcohol as means to warm up because alcohol dilates the blood vessels allowing cold blood from the extremities to move toward the heart.

Also, just covering an acute hypothermia victim with a blanket will not generate heat, as the trunk area will have to be actively heated. If you are not sure about the safety of ice conditions on any body of water, it is best to stay off. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. When is it safe to walk on ice for the year's first ice fishing trip? Did you find this article useful? Please tell us why Submit. You may be putting yourself in serious danger if the ice sheet is too thin or cracked.

The tips below will help you get a better understanding of which types of ice lakes are safe and which ones you should avoid, along with some safety precautions to consider. Depending on the thickness of the ice, there may be limitations on what you can do on its surface.

Anything above 12 inches Ice lakes with this thickness should be able to support medium sized trucks. For white or snow ice, you should double these measurements to ensure optimal safety. Cracks compromise the integrity of the ice sheets, so check for cracks before taking your next step.